The men of Israel wanted to know if these men were telling the truth. So they tasted the bread—but they did not ask the Lord what they should do.
Joshua 9:14 (ERV)
Last week, we looked at what lessons we can learn from leaders who asked God for advice before they took a decision. The question today is, how do we ask God for advice?
In the Old Testament, The Holy Spirit was not yet poured out upon people therefore leaders could not go directly to God, instead they had to ask Prophets and Priests to ask God on their behalf for advice on what they should do.
We thank God that we have a High Priest, our Lord Jesus through Whom we can now come boldly to the throne room of God, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16).
Believers in Jesus Christ have been given the precious gift of The Holy Spirit, Who knows the mind of God. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, who guides us into all truth and tells us about the future (John 16:13). If you haven’t yet received Him, please give your life to Jesus and ask Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit.
How do you ask God for advice?
- Ask
We must simply go to God The Father as little children and ask Him whatever is in our heart. I personally find it helpful to write down the questions on paper. Jesus said whatever we ask in His name, He will do, that The Father may be glorified in the Son. If we ask anything in His name He assures us that He will do it (John 14:13-14). The Bible says if you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking (James 1:5);
- Seek
To seek is to search for or to desire something. Don’t give up, keep on searching to obtain the answer. We are told to seek The Lord while He may be found; call on him while He is near (Isaiah 55:6);
- Knock
To knock is to beat a door to gain admittance. Jesus encouraged us that we should always pray and not give up. We must be like the persistent widow who kept going to the judge to get justice for her from her adversaries. For a while he did nothing however he eventually avenged her because he was tired of her persistence. In this parable Jesus was showing that although God’s people call to Him night and day, He will always give us what is right. He will not be slow to answer us, He will help His people quickly (Luke 18:1-8);
- Wait
After all the asking, seeking, and knocking in prayer, we must wait for the answer. This is where most of us get impatient however in waiting God may be trying to develop in us patience which is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Remember that God’s timing is not our timing. With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day (2 Peter 3:8). Waiting on The Lord is good for us because it renews our strength:
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint
(Isaiah 40:31)
- Act
Once you have asked and waited on The Lord for advice, and He gives you the direction to take, do whatever He tells you to do. At the marriage in Cana Mary told the servants that they must do whatever Jesus tells them (John 2:5).
Prayer
Dear Father, I thank You that You are always ready to hear me when I call upon You. I now ask You to give me wisdom and advice in the following areas…………….. Help me to be patient in waiting upon You for the answer. Please give me courage so that I will do whatever You tell me to do in Jesus name, amen.
Next week, we will look at the different ways in which God may give us advice.
Listen to the Message
You can also listen to this message on YouTube here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmXUE1UKIP8
How to Discover Your Life’s Purpose Through Dreams
Do you know God’s purpose for your life? If not, please listen to the audio version of: How to Discover Your Life’s Purpose Through Dreams
Happy Easter
Happy Easter! We thank God that Jesus Christ is no longer dead, He is risen and because He lives we can live also.
God bless,
Blessing
blessingtheo 